What Oklahoman’s Should Know about Artificial Intelligence
What is Artificial intelligence?
AI (Artificial Intelligence) refers to the ability of machines to think, learn, create, and problem-solve in ways that mimic human intelligence. AI encompasses a broad range of technologies and techniques that enable computers and machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. Artificial Intelligence can perform tasks autonomously because AI algorithms learn from data, allowing them to adapt to new tasks and environments.
Learning about AI is particularly beneficial as it opens numerous opportunities for economic growth and workforce development in Oklahoma. Recognizing the potential of AI, Governor Kevin Stitt has launched an AI training program partnered with Google through the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services. This initiative aims to equip Oklahomans with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital and automated world. Oklahoma businesses have already begun integrating AI into their business models, such as Devon Energy, which uses AI to analyze geological data. By embracing AI, Oklahoma can attract high-tech industries and improve efficiency in the workplace, propelling Oklahoma’s business landscape into the future.
How does Artificial intelligence work?
Imagine you're teaching a child how to make decisions about what to wear based on the weather. Here's how this process parallels AI:
1. Learning from Experience: You start by giving the child lots of examples. On sunny days, you show them that wearing shorts and a T-shirt is a good choice. On rainy days, you show them how to wear a raincoat and boots. On cold days, you help them choose a jacket, hat, and gloves.
2. Identifying Patterns: Over time, the child notices patterns. They learn that sunny days are usually warm, rainy days require waterproof clothing, and cold days need warm layers. They recognize these patterns from the examples you provided.
3. Making Decisions: After experiencing enough examples, the child can start making decisions on their own. If they wake up and see it's sunny, they know to choose shorts and a T-shirt. If it's rainy, they grab their raincoat and boots.
4. Improving with Feedback: As the child makes decisions, they get feedback. Maybe one day they forget their raincoat and get wet, or they wear too many layers on a warm day and feel hot. They learn from these experiences and improve their decision-making over time.
AI works in a similar way :
1. Learning from Data: The AI is fed data related to the decisions it needs to make. For example, an AI for predicting weather might receive data about temperatures, humidity, and weather conditions over many years.
2. Finding Patterns: The AI analyzes the data and finds patterns. It learns that certain combinations of temperature and humidity often lead to rain, or that clear skies usually mean it's sunny.
3. Making Predictions or Decisions: Based on these patterns, the AI can start making predictions. If it sees data that looks like past data associated with rain, it will predict rain.
4. Improving with Feedback: The AI also improves over time. If its predictions are sometimes wrong, it uses this feedback to refine its understanding and get better at making accurate predictions.
So, teaching a child to make decisions is a lot like how AI learns to make decisions based on data. Both involve learning from examples, recognizing patterns, and improving over time with feedback.
OpenAI
OpenAI, founded in December 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, John Schulman, and Wojciech Zaremba, is the leading company in artificial intelligence. Initially set up as a non-profit, OpenAI transitioned to a "capped-profit" model in 2019 to attract more funding while maintaining its commitment to publicly beneficial AI. OpenAI's projects have made significant impacts in the field of AI, starting with OpenAI Gym, a toolkit for developing and comparing learning algorithms, and OpenAI Baselines, a set of high-quality implementations of reinforcement learning algorithms.
Their language models, the GPT series, have revolutionized natural language processing, with GPT-3 and GPT-4 showcasing unprecedented capabilities in text generation and analysis. Other notable projects include DALL-E, an AI that creates images from textual descriptions, and Codex, which powers GitHub Copilot, an AI assistant for programmers. OpenAI continues to push the boundaries of AI research, focusing on safety and policy to ensure responsible AI development and management. OpenAI's business model, particularly its "capped-profit" structure, aligns with its public-benefit mission.
This model allows OpenAI to attract necessary investment while ensuring that the returns to investors are limited, thereby prioritizing the goal of creating AI projects that are tools for public use.
Additionally, OpenAI has established partnerships with organizations like Microsoft, integrating its AI models into widely used platforms and services, extending the reach and impact of its technology. OpenAI’s progress in the realm of AI along with its open-source business structure promises to revolutionize how work is conducted in the future, and luckily for us in Oklahoma, lawmakers like Kevin Stitt aren’t ignoring these advancements.
Andrew Silvestri, Gov. Kevin Stitt, Tayvon Lewis, and John Suter
AI Governance
On September 25th of 2023, Kevin Stitt announced his new AI initiative: an AI task force tasked with preparing Oklahoma for the future of ubiquitous AI. The Office of Managment and Enterprise Servies now offers free AI training courses to inform Oklahomans on how to effectively utilize AI in the workplace, and elsewhere. AI policy is also advancing through legislative and educational initiatives. Lawmakers are taking note of the growing power of AI companies, with Representative Jeff Boatman advocating for an Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights. This bill would mandate that Oklahomans be notified whenever they are interacting with AI-generated content or systems. Concurrently, Representative Arturo Alonso-Sandoval has proposed a bill to incorporate AI curriculum and teacher training in all public schools, funded by a newly established revolving fund under Kevin Stitt’s AI initiatives.
Educators across the state are being empowered to utilize AI’s capability to interpret large amounts of data to create teaching recommendations for students on an individual level. Recognizing the importance of AI education, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University are integrating AI programs into their new polytechnic institutes. Faculty across various departments are assessing AI's role in their courses, with some embracing its use and others, particularly in writing-intensive programs, opting out. Christine Ormsbee, OSU’s vice provost, emphasizes the need for foundational skill development, cautioning against reliance on AI tools like ChatGPT that could bypass essential learning processes. This reflects a broader trend in education where schools are exploring the optimal use of AI technologies.
Applications and Implications of Publicly Accessible AI
Understanding artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important, especially as AI-generated content becomes more common in our daily lives. AI can create text, images, videos, and even voices that are highly realistic and often indistinguishable from those made by humans.
Knowing about AI helps one recognize when content might be AI-generated, which is crucial for evaluating the accuracy and reliability of information. For instance, AI-generated photos or videos, dubbed “Deepfakes”, are a source of misinformation to keep in mind when browsing the internet. Deepfakes are AI altered videos or photos where the face and voice have been replaced by AI generated content to make the person in the video appear to be someone they're not. The scope of possible misinformation by using deepfakes is vast and alarming to conceptualize. By being aware of the capabilities of AI, however, you can develop a critical eye and better question the authenticity of what you see and hear. This knowledge empowers you to make more informed judgments, whether you're reading news, shopping online, or scrolling social media.
For us in Oklahoma, it's good to know that artificial intelligence is essentially a tool that helps machines learn and make decisions like humans do. Think of AI as a super smart helper that can sift through tons of information quickly, find patterns, and offer useful insights. This technology is already impacting everyday life in ways you might recognize, like virtual assistants (Siri or Alexa), personalized recommendations on streaming services and social media sites, and improvements in farming with smart tractors that optimize planting and harvesting. Integrating AI into Oklahoma's public and business administration promises substantial benefits across various sectors. AI can automate routine tasks, enhancing efficiency and freeing human resources for strategic roles. Transportation systems benefit from AI through the use of smart navigation systems like Google Maps. In environmental sectors, AI enhances forecasting and disaster response. AI-powered tools have a variety of applications, and each serve as an effective and efficient way to make work and life easier.
AI-driven growth will be achieved through fostering a favorable regulatory and civic environment, one that is invested in technical infrastructure and enhancing STEM education. Learning about AI equips individuals with the skills to harness advanced technologies, increasing their job opportunities and fostering innovation. By staying informed about AI, we can adapt to technological advancements and contribute to a future shaped by intelligent systems and smart technologies. AI offers exciting possibilities, which is why it’s so important to stay informed about how it works and its implications, ensuring that it’s used responsibly and benefits everyone.
Sources
Bill seeks to crack down on deceptive artificial intelligence campaign tactics • Oklahoma Voice
John Deere Transforming from a Machinery Company to a Smart Technology Company (agriculture.com)
A Timeline of OpenAI’s Technology, Funding, and History | by Yutong Levine | Medium
Task Force Emerging Technologies AI Strategy for State Agencies in OK.pdf (oklahoma.gov)